The 28-year-old has been instrumental in Marseille’s rise to the summit of Ligue 1 under new manager Marcelo Bielsa, netting nine goals in nine games and drawing interest from Europe’s top leagues.

Last month it was reported that the 20-capped French international would be heading to England in the coming months, with Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool said to be interested following his agent’s admission that a move could happen.

When quizzed last month by reporters on the future of his client, with a January move to the Emirates Stadium touted, the agent said: “[Gignac] can play in England, Arsenal or Liverpool, no problem.”

However, one man who is not convinced that Gignac could make the step up to the Premier League is Spurs and Newcastle legend Chris Waddle, who played 107 times for Marseille between 1989 and 1992. Voted OM’s second best player of the century in 1998, he won three consecutive league titles with the French side, as well as losing in the 1991 European Cup Final to Serbian side Crvena Zvezda.

Speaking to the Standard, Waddle revealed that he had been to watch Gignac play this season, and was not convinced with the forward, who he labeled as ‘not the most gifted’.

The former England international said: “I went out to Marseille and watched him last season, he's a heavy lad, the manager's got him fitter than he's ever probably been.

“[He’s] not the most technical, not the most gifted, yes he's scoring goals at the minute but Marseille are flying.

“Would he get into Arsenal's team or would he get into Liverpool's team? If I'm honest, no.”

On current form, Gignac would fix the goalscoring problems Arsenal have faced this Premier League season, but his previous records do not show highly on the forward. 54 goals in 148 games in an acceptable, if not impressive, record, but, with the step up in quality required to take the Premier League by storm, Gignac may not able to cope with the added pressure.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.